The Promise
by Lolchen
Summary: Songfic. Ryou is dead, Bakura out for revenge. Who would kill something as innocent and pure as the Hikari? When Bakura finds out, all hell breaks loose. BxR Tendershipping, Warnings: character deaths, slightly AU, gore


Pairing: Bakura x Ryou (hinted)

Warnings: sad, character death, swearing, Spoilers of the AE Arc, slightly AU, Shounen-Ai (hinted)

A/N: Attention! At the beginning the songtext is slightly changed... as you can see xD "The Promise" by Within Temptation.  
And btw, this is still hot from the press, freshly translated ;) Anyone interested in the German version, visit Yaoi Germany or Animexx, same title!

hikari - light  
yadonushi - host  
tenshi - angel  
yami - darkness  
koi - beloved  
gomen ne - sorry  
Pharaoh no baka - stupid Pharaoh

Legend:

_Songtext_  
'Thoughts'  
/Telepathy/

* * *

A lonely figure stood on the roof of a sky-high building. Red eyes stared unfocused at something far away. White, shoulder length hair was blown into the person's face. The wind was cold and strong. Cruel. Like the Gods. Why did they hate him so much? Yes, he had been cruel in his past and he had waited millennia and had paid for his sin step for step.

He had changed. He was no longer possessed. The demon couldn't control him anymore. The demon was destroyed. He lived. If you could call it life, that is. He was just a soul, a spirit being damned to stay on earth forever till his sins were forgiven... but hadn't they been? Didn't the Gods themselves give him a chance? However, he hadn't taken it. For one reason... his hikari...

.

_Boy we have Those kept  
Boy we have Those kept_

.

When he had been little, he had had a hard time surviving, just barely making it in time when his village was burned down to ashes and with it his family and friends becoming blood sacrifices. Their restless souls had visited him every night, calling for revenge, feeding his own hatred. Five years he had wandered through the desert, had stolen to live and bettered his thieving skills, before he had robbed the first tomb.

Afterwards the 14-years old had become the "King of Thieves" because the God of Thieves, Diabound himself had chosen him to stand under his protection. However, he had been killed at the age of 21, being the last of Kuru Elna's blood sacrifices, thus the demon Zork could awaken. The curse of that damned priest and Bearer of the Ring kept his soul from going to afterlife. He was forever bounded to the Ring, which he had stolen from said priest until he would fined release.

.

_Boy we have Those kept  
Boy we have Those kept_

.

About 3,000 years he was kept inside of the Ring, having the seldom fun with torturing the latest Ringbearer's soul a few seconds before the power of the Ring teared their weak souls apart. After all he had gone through, this was the worst. Did Fate hate him so much? Did it hate him for what he had done? Hadn't his sins been forgiven? Why were the Gods so cruel...? Oh, and how cruel they were! They put him through this pain and sorrow again, while they took the one thing which he had left... and he was kept here, on earth.

.

_Boy we have ...kept_  
_Those kept Those kept  
Those kept... kept_

.

When he met his soul partner first, he thought him to be weak like all the others before. But he was surprised that this fragile looking boy could bear the Ring that long. It was a welcomed change having more time to torture the soul of his vessel. He took his joys of humanity from him, step for step... and his friends. One after the other fell into comatose without obvious reason. At last his hikari thought himself to be the reason because he was the only connection with all those suddenly comatosed ones, his fault alone...

He recoiled and became depressive. He never let any human close to him again and that was what the spirit had wanted. He moved strategically and cautious, avoiding attention. He hurt his host, physically and psychically. All those tears, the whimpers, the sadness, they didn't hold him back but made it all worse.

When the Pharaoh finished Zork off eventually, which he couldn't 3,000 years before, his patron God and his sanity returned. And even if Bakura would never admit it, he developed feelings towards his yadonushi. Feelings that every Yami developed under normal circumstances. Admiration. Protectiveness. Attraction. ...Love.

.

_On behalf of his love  
He no longer sleeps_

.

The wild animal inside of him awoke and started his work protecting his one and only light growlingly. It was intoxicating and oppressive at the same time 'cause he neither liked seeing his hikari sad nor did he liked the fact others coming close to him. But when he didn't let them, those humans his Ryou called his 'friends', anywhere near him it made his light sad. So the Yami fought with himself every single time and every single time there was a different result...

His life, his whole existence got worthy again. He had a job to do, a mission. Protecting his hikari and making up those things he had done to him beforehand. However, it was taken away from him – his job, his worth, his heart... and thus his life. He couldn't understand why they did it. Especially them... And in those moments, where the wind blew his white hair out of his face, his crimson eyes narrowed to slits. Tears glittered on his cheek and his skin color turned darker and darker... No one noticed how his body grew new muscles, how he grew a bit taller and the tears' watery trail turned crimson...

.

_Life no longer had meaning  
Nothing to make him stay  
He sold his soul away_

.

The tears flowed on, unobstructed they ran down his cheeks. Thoughts and memories whirled in his mind, pictures appearing in front of his inner eye. Ryou, laughing. Ryou, smiling. Ryou, blushing. Ryou, crying. Ryou, staring at him in surprise. Ryou, sitting lonely in a corner. Ryou, running through the waves in the Sea happily. Ryou, when he was little. Ryou, when he kissed him. Ryou in his arms. Holding him consolatory. Ryou... his Ryou...

He had been unable to stop it. It had all happened so fast... In the moment, when he returned from the Shadow Realm, to which the damn Pharaoh had banned him again, it had already been too late. He had felt the pain. That pain he had felt before he had been stuck in the Ring. He had screamed at the top of his lungs. Had pleaded with Ryou not to leave him. But he left...

Against the promise, they had given each other. He had promised him to always return to him, never minding how often the Pharaoh no baka would ban him to the Shadow Realm. 'And he promised to wait for me. To stay with me. To be there when I return. And I believed him. Believed that we were inseparable. But they did it. They separated us.'

.

_I held you tight to me  
But you slipped away  
You promised to return to me  
And I believed, I believed_

.

He closed his eyes, pressing more tears out of them. He didn't know how long he was standing there. It already was beyond midnight. The full moon shone and the stars glittered. However, dark clouds shifted through the night sky. And it started raining. The rain mixed with the blood on his cheeks and washed it away. What was left was the ancient scar, he once had worn in Ancient Egypt. It ran from his eye to his chin over his cheek and was cross horizontally twice. It bled. The ancient scar bled and the rain washed the blood away.

A short while after the blood stopped flowing, but Bakura never seemed to notice. His clothing had completely changed. He wore a sand-coloured kilt and a red robe. He looked the same like back in those days when he was out for revenge against the Pharaoh. The rain washed over him, but he never minded. His clothes and hair stayed dry miraculously, but the pain didn't go away.

.

_After the night he died  
I wept my tears until they dried  
But the pain stayed the same_

.

Abruptly the crimson eyes opened again, filled with hatred, pain and rage. It had been a long time since he had felt like this. It felt like chains of solid metal shattering and letting him loose. He had only one target in his mind. He would punish his hikari's killers for what they had done. He would revenge his tenshi. It hurt him to think about his love's death. He had been there when he had died. Seeing the killers in the last moment of life. And Ryou's last thoughts echoed through his mind, again and again.

/Gomen ne... I promised to wait... I'm sorry 'Kura... Please, don't be mad... I love you.../ And then he was dead. Gone. Out of reach. Bakura swore in that moment, he would revenge his hikari's soul. Anyone who dared to hurt something so pure, they shall be tortured until delivering death. Death alone wasn't good enough for the scum. They would bleed for their deeds. They would lie at his feet and whimper in fear, begging for mercy. However, he knew no mercy for them. They never showed mercy for his light.

.

_  
I didn't want him to die all in vain  
I made a promise to revenge his soul in time  
I'll make them bleed at my feet_

.

It had been a normal day like many others before. Bakura had angered the Pharaoh, who still was convinced the Tomb Robber would hurt his light. Though, when Bakura told Ryou to throw their unwanted guest out, his majesty saw his suspicions proved and banned his rival to the Shadow Realm, even against Ryou's protests. 'I've fought, hikari... I didn't want to leave my tenshi behind alone... It had been too dangerous... And now I know how right I was...' It had cost him two weeks and three days to return to the mundane world. Too weak to completely materialise, he began his search for Ryou.

With time he became stronger and his sight cleared. He recognized the familiar surroundings and feelings flooded him. Joyously he had opened his link to his soul partner... and his blood had frozen. Pain. Unbelievable agony had filled his hikari. With incredible rage and a sudden power surge, he had never possessed before, he had teleported himself right to his wounded light's sight. His transparent arms had closed around the motionless, fragile body. Blood covered the cement. So much blood... In that moment understanding hat hit him... His hikari would die. In his arms...

.

_I held you tight to me  
But you slipped away  
You promised to return to me  
And I believed, I believed_

.

A smile had graced the lips, as the angel had felt the presence of his yami. Protective. Sad. And he had known, he would die. Bakura could see it in his eyes. He had sent him all those loving thoughts... Too weak to even talk. Besides, it had been private and the killers had still been close. After he had guided his tenshi through those moments and had promised to follow him soon, he had looked up. Ice cold, crimson eyes had widened when he had glared at the killers – or better the killer. The others had just stood there and had stared at the lifeless whitenette, shocked and helpless. A growl had formed in his throat.

He had always known that he couldn't trust them. But he would never have thought that they would kill his light. Sometimes he wondered if he could have known, how he could have been so blind. They wanted to hurt him... and the best way to accomplish that was over his hikari... Withal his little light had always been friendly to them! How could they stand there and look inactively while his light lost its brilliance? The hurt in his heart grew. He could have stopped it. If he only had known their intentions...

.

_  
Sometimes I wonder  
Could I have known their true intentions?  
As the pain stayed the same_

.

Slowly, he set off. One after the other, he would hunt them down and punish them for their deeds. They deserved nothing else. First the passive onlookers. They should have done something, stepped in and helped his light. Now they would pay the price for their failure to render assistance. They would regret their mistake bitterly. The white-haired demon knew no mercy. Only his hikari had been worthy of such a thing. These mortals were ignoble. They had just looked on impassively.

They would pay their prize. He climbed up a pipe, entered the appartement through an open window. Like a thief, he sneaked along the floor and the Millenniumsring showed him the right way. With a barely audible squeak the door opened, revealing a dark room. A gory smirk spread on his lips. She would be the first to pay. "Who's there?" She would never get an answer. Her screams were the mute answer in the silent night. The next morning the girl was found in her own blood next to the bed, horror in her blue eyes. Téa Gardner had paid. She would live, but forever wheelchair-bound.

Next came the brunet boy. Bakura couldn't remember his name, let his Ring show him the way to the house. Inside it was noisy, obviously they had a little party. The yami hid in the kitchen, until the host entered to get more alcoholic drinks. Unnatural obscurity filled the room and hushed the screams. A few hours later the party ended abruptly, when they found the host bleeding in the kitchen: Tristan Taylor, unconscious, shaven (his hair would never grow again) and castrated.

The next victim was the last onlooker. The small appartement was dirty, bits of broken glass everywhere on the floor and bottles of beer heaped up in the living room. Quiet like a predator Bakura entered the blond's bedroom. He lay on his bed, snoring peacefully and drool dropped from his lips. Disgusting, smacking noises made the Tomb Rober shiver. He finished his job quick and precise. It was a shock for Joey Wheeler, when he found out that his tongue had been cut out and he couldn't speak anymore nor bark. Additionally came breathing problems, due to which he died a slow death.

.

_  
I'm going to haunt them down all the way  
I made a promise to revenge his soul in time  
One by one they were surprised_

.

Upon making the so-called friends pay for his hikari's death, the lone figure set off to a new destination. This time the way was well-known to him. He had never thought that it would be this person to kill his light. It had been... unexpected. However, this provided him with a reason to finally kill this person. After so many years he had a right for revenge. And he would avenge his hikari at any cost...

The room was lit by the moonlight shining through the window, two figures intertwined with each other lay on the bed. Two identical haircuts could be seen from underneath the cover. Quick and precise the yami worked his way through the chamber and separated the yin-yang couple. The smaller one of the two flew across the room, crashing hard against the wall. Chains of dark energy sprang two life and bounded his hands and feet. The boy screamed painfully, but the whitenette ignored him.

Thoughtful like a predator he turned around to face his eternal rival. Ruby eyes were wide in shock, sweat perled from his forehead, his hairdo loose and unruly. Crimson black and bloody-golden blond. That was the colour of the hair. The former Pharaoh stared at his long-time rival angrily, his eyes slits in rage. His gaze was return just as fierce, hatred and contempt mirrored in red eyes. "So I've been right.", Yami growled, whilst sitting up. "You haven't changed at all. You just toyed with us."

Crimson eyes flashed furiously, snarling he walked up to his rival. "Who said I changed my ways towards _you_? I handle the unworthy as they have deserved it. You're no exception..." And with that he knifed him, again and again till not only the golden dagger but also the bed sheets and their clothing was soaked in blood. Yami cried in agony, but not once the white-haired spirit showed him mercy. He hurt his nemesis, though the wounds weren't life endangering. With black-violet energy he stopped the blood flow and then he pinned his adversary with Shadow Magic against the wall.

He turned away from him, his crimson eyes fixing on the scared hikari who could just watch the show. A mad smirk lay on Bakura's lips as he raised the dagger again and this time drove it in the hikari's rips. "Look, oh allmighty Pharaoh! Watch your hikari hurt because of you!" Cruel laughter filled the night. Just before the young Japanese lost consciousness, the ordeal stopped. Bakura had agonized him in all ways possible his mad mind could come up with – only his innocence he had left him. Yami tried to fight his bonds, but it was in vain. Helpless he had to watch his hikari, the one he had sworn to protect, being tortured to the verge of death. He himself had little energy left but his will was strong. If his hikari would die, he would too.

"Why, Tomb Robber?", he hissed between gritted teeth. "What has he done to you?" With a clank the knife fell to the ground, dangerously calm the person spoken to turned around. Blood lust mirrored in those bloody seas and Yami gasped. "Why? Why did you kill Ryou, heh? Without any reason! And now it's time for you to pay. Pay for your deeds, Pharaoh. Your little fanclub already paid. Now is your turn!" With a battle cry he rushed up to his enemy, ripping him apart and blood sputtered through the room. In his rage he never noticed.

Heavily breathing he turned away from the lifeless corpse, turned to the whimpering hikari. His expression softened because this was about another light. The light is never responsible for the darkness' deeds. He crouched down next to the scared Yugi and explained it to him, whilst he healed the wounds with Shadow Magic, he had the choice. Either a short, nearly painless death or a life without the other half of his soul. That much mercy he would give him and no more. This one last wish he would fulfil for the multi-colour-haired boy. A short while later he left the house behind, a house with a room where two corpses lay, one torn apart, the other nearly untouched...

.

_I held you tight to me  
But you slipped away  
You promised to return to me  
And I believed, I believed_

.

Ryou's death had been a stupid accident actually. The dimwitted Pharaoh had mistaken the hikari for the yami because he had made an untypical, snappish remark towards him... Something among the lines "Leave me alone, your at fault for my unhappiness." Bakura remembered this part only weakly from the train of thoughts Ryou had left him. In any event, Yami had taken the chance to eliminate his rival for good – in a feeble assault, Ryou hadn't seen it coming thus the images were blurred, hence the Tomb Robber didn't know for sure what happened. He could only comprehend the agony his hikari had felt. And how his so-called friends stood there and did nothing but stare. Yugi hadn't known what happened for Yami blocked him out for the first time in their relationship...

Lightnings lit the sky and rain drops pattered against the window, at which Bakura sat and looked out. It had rained non-stop ever since Ryou's funeral. He had been there. Many people had come who hadn't known his hikari in the slightest. They all acted compassionate, sad and considerate, though it was all fake. Facade. Téa, Joey and Tristan had been there as well, but they knew better than to approach him. Although, they had spoken to Ryou's father and introduced themselves as Ryou's friends. The man was visibly relieved to know his son had had friends.

The ancient Spirit of the Millenniumsring, too, confronted his counterpart's father. He was the only one who really hurt because of his son's death, Bakura had sensed it from the beginning. He stepped up to him and looked him in the eye. The man seemed taken aback at first, wondering if he was hallucinating because the unknown young man in front of him resembled Ryou greatly. But Bakura soon convinced him of the opposite because in his Egypt form he was tanned, taller, muscular and wore the scar on his cheek. He explained the father that Ryou had never been alone – even in death. He told him that he had already handled the murderer. And that he would follow Ryou soon.

Ryou's father seemed shocked, but then grew angry, demanding to know who he was and why he took the liberty to speak such non-sense. Bakura only laughed grimly at that. He had been Ryou's lover. Ryou's friend. Ryou's support. Ryou's greatest agony and enemy. Ryou's darkness. The other half of the hikari. The Spirit of the Millenniumsring. There realization seemed to dawn, the man understood he had something ancient magical in front of him and backed away. The white-haired yami left the graveyard shortly after.

And the card "Change of Heart" stood guard at the freshly filled up grave.

.

_Boy we have Those kept  
__Boy we have Those kept  
...kept Those kept_

.

Weeks came and went. It always rained. But not today. Today it stops and an unnatural sun is glowing. And he knows that it's time. Leisurely he betakes himself to the graveyard. Time doesn't play a role if you are a prisoner to this world for over 3,000 years. In front of Ryou's grave he stops and smiles at Dark Necrofear who displaces Change of Heart once in a while. They'll guard this grave in the future, even when no one knows about it anymore. When the world becomes dust, they'll be there and won't forget them. The yami and the hikari. Especially the hikari, who had changed his yami so much.

Behind the grave a pellucid gate appears. Gradually its existence becomes more solid, until it is fully in the mundane plane. 'Is this it? The end of my agony? The way to Anubis?', the King of Thieves wondered silently. He hasn't looked up at the gate yet, his eyes still fixed on the text engraved on the tomb stone: "In the light for all eternity. May darkness embrace him." The words he has chosen for his hikari. They have irritated the father notably. But it can't be changed. He has taken care of that.

With a content smile he lifts his head and stares at the gate. 'Deep inside I know it will show me the way to you. Then I will hold you in my arms once again. This time you won't slip away. And you will be able to keep your promise. Because I believe in you.' With the peaceful smile on his lips he moves forward. The gate's wings open up and gaudy light surrounds him. Smiling he trespass the threshold. /I'm coming, koi./

.

_I held you tight to me  
But you slipped away  
You promised to return to me_

.

'And I believe... we will see each other again... Either in paradise in the afterlife or in our next life... But we will definitely meet again. I have faith.'

_  
And I believed_

* * *


End file.
